Liberty Minute January 8 2014

When 18-year-old Keith Vidal suffered a psychological breakdown on the afternoon of January 5, his parents called 911 for help. Within a few minutes, officers from the local police department in Boiling Spring Lake, North Carolina responded, along with at least one sheriff?s deputy. The situation was tense, but contained.

Fourteen minutes after the original call was made, Detective Byron Vassey from the police department in nearby Southport arrived. Seventy seconds later, Keith was dead. According to his father, the teenager ? who was pinned down by at least two officers -- had been tasered multiple times when another officer exclaimed: ?We don?t have time for this!? and shot him at point-blank range.

Although the shooter has not been formally identified, Vassey has been placed on administrative leave, and he was the officer who made the call reporting that he fired the shots in self-defense. He has since hired an attorney, who insists that the officer acted properly.

Keith was holding a screwdriver. However, he was a tiny young man who weighed no more than 100 pounds and had been restrained by several large adult males. 

When we call the police, we?re inviting the intervention of armed strangers who are given official permission to kill those they are sent to help.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.